Lizzie Ryder
Lizzie Ryder is a lyric soprano in London. She has worked with Nevill Holt Opera where she sang in the role of ‘Frasquita’ in their production of Bizet’s Carmen as an understudy and was acclaimed by Opera Now magazine for making ‘a hugely pleasing impression’. The following year she played the role of ‘Countess Ceprano’ in Rigoletto Other roles include ‘Anna Maurrant’ Street Scene, ‘Governess’ Turn of the screw, ‘Tytania’ A Midsummer night’s dream (Britten Opera Scenes) and chorus in Northern Ireland Opera’s revival of The Elixir of Love for Nevill Holt Opera. Lizzie has also performed in many opera scenes including ‘Fiordiligi’ Cosi fan tutte ‘Female chorus’ Rape of Lucretia and ‘Fox’ Cunning little vixen.
As well as Opera, Lizzie has worked as a soloist for various orchestras around the UK, including the Halle, singing Opera classics such as Rusalka’s ‘Song to the moon’ (2019) and ‘Easter Hymn’ Cavelleria Rusticana (2014). Lizzie is a frequent singer for the Charnwood Orchestra most recently engaged to sing ‘Oh! Il signore vi manda’ Cavilliera Rusticana and ‘Prendi per me sei libero’ L’elisir d’amore.
Lizzie also has a great passion for French Chanson and German lied, singing works such as ‘Les Illuminations’ (Britten) (2019) as well as ‘Wesendonck Lieder’ (Wagner) (2018) with the Beauchamp Sinfonietta and ‘Sieben Fruhe Lieder’ (Berg) with the Charnwood Orchestra. She is engaged to sing Ravel’s ‘Sheherazade’ next year.
Jonathan Barritt
Jonathan Barritt studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Atar Arad and Mischa Geller and was awarded all the major prizes for viola. He graduated with distinction in 1983 and was immediately offered a position with the English Chamber Orchestra where he was appointed co-principal viola in 1988. He was sponsored by the ECO Music Society in his London recital debut at the Purcell Room, and he has since regularly played concertos with the orchestra.
As a very versatile artist, Jonathan has managed a varied career and is much in demand as a soloist and chamber musician both in the UK and abroad. He has subsequently worked with most of the London orchestras and has guest lead the London Symphony, Philharmonia, London Philharmonic,Bournemouth Symphony, CBSO, Mozart Players, BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish and BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestras viola sections.
From 1995 to 2001 Jonathan was a member of the Allegri String Quartet. He returned to the English Chamber Orchestra in 2001 as principal viola. He joined the Coull String Quartet in 2015 and now divides his time between the quartet and teaching at the Royal College of Music. He plays a Giovanni and Francesco Grancino viola c.1680
Joel Roberts.
Joel graduated with a Masters from the Royal Academy of Music in 2017, studying with Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins, Martin Owen, and Roger Montgomery. He was awarded a Richard Mereweather bursary at RAM and, whist studying there, was a holder of a Countess of Munster Musical Trust scholarship. After finishing his Masters, he was a Chamber Music Fellow at RAM with his wind quintet, Moriarty Winds.
Before joining the Academy, Joel completed his undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, learning with Lindsey Stoker, Julian Plummer and Tim Jackson as well as studying natural and baroque horn with Beccy Goldberg. Joel’s studies at the RNCM were generously supported by the John Fewkes (Leicestershire) Instrumentalist Scholarship Fund.
Born and raised in Beckenham, Joel was taught horn at Bromley Youth Music Trust, by Andrew Currie and Michael Purton, and was involved in many of the ensembles including the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Big Phat Brass to name a few. He now teaches at BYMT and directs Young Phat Brass, as well as teaching at BYMT North West.
Since finishing his studies, Joel has been playing professionally with the BBC Philharmonic, Welsh National Opera and Hallé Orchestras as well as touring with Northern Ballet Sinfonia. Joel was a member of Southbank Sinfonia for their 2019 season and is currently a FoyleFuture First recipient with the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their 2019/20 season
Rebecca Eldridge
In 2012, Rebecca won a scholarship to study on the MMus orchestral course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Graham Sheen, Helen Simons, Gordon Laing and Martin Field. Prior to this, Rebecca graduated with first class honours from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying with Meyrick Alexander, Martin Bowen, Steve Marsden and contrabassoon with Chris Vale.
During her studies, Rebecca won the Three Choirs Festival Ensemble Prize, Howarth Double Reed prize, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s Concerto prize, June Emerson Wind Ensemble Launchpad prize and the Abergavenny Eisteddfod.
Rebecca has worked with various orchestras including the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Viva and Orchestra of the Swan. She was also contrabassoonist with the Young Musician’s Symphony Orchestra and has participated in side-by-side schemes with the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Rebecca was Co-principal Bassoon with Southbank Sinfonia 2017.
As a soloist Rebecca has performed concertos with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s Chamber Orchestra, Chandos Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia of Birmingham, Leamington Chamber Orchestra and Inkberrow Sinfonia. Also a keen chamber musician Rebecca is a founding member of the Aquilon Ensemble. This has lead to performances on BBC Radio 3, UK and European tours and coaching from Andrew Marriner, Francois Leleux, Sarah Burnett and Neil Black.
Fenella Humphreys
With playing described in the press as ‘unforgettable’ and ‘a wonder’, violinist Fenella Humphreys enjoys a busy career combining chamber music and solo work. Performances have taken her around the world to venues including the Wigmore Hall, the South Bank Centre, and the Helsinki Music Centre. She has broadcast for the BBC, Classic FM, DeutschlandRadio Berlin, West-Deutsche-Rundfunk, ABC Classic FM (Australia) and Korean radio, and performed the Walton Concerto at the composer’s home at the invitation of the Walton Trust in a performance that was recorded by Canadian TV.
Fenella’s first concerto recording, of Christopher Wright’s Violin Concerto for Dutton Epoch with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Martin Yates was released in 2012 to great critical acclaim (“Fenella Humphreys’s performance is a wonder” International Record Review; “Fenella Humphreys captures the music’s wistful cantabile to perfection, producing a golden tone in all registers with the utmost sensitivity to where every phrase is moving.” The Strad Magazine), and was selected as Orchestral CD of the Month in a 5 star review in the BBC Music Magazine.
A number of eminent British composers have written works for Fenella, both in her own right and as a former member of the Lawson Trio. During 2014/15 Fenella premiered Bach to the Future, a set of 6 new unaccompanied violin works by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Gordon Crosse, Sally Beamish, Adrian Sutton, Piers Hellawell and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. The project has so far seen performances at Aldeburgh, St. Magnus Festival, Presteigne Festival, Ryedale Festival, The Forge, Manchester University, Queen’s University, Belfast etc. and is to be recorded over two CDs for Champs Hill Records. A “radiant recording” with “golden precision and effortless virtuosity” (Five Stars, The Scotsman) the first of these discs, released in August 2015 was picked by BBC Music Magazine as October’s Instrumental disc of the month.
Concertmaster of the Deutsche Kammerakademie, Fenella also enjoys guest leading and directing various ensembles in Europe. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists including Alexander Baillie, Adrian Brendel, Pekka Kuusisto and Martin Lovett, and is regularly invited by Steven Isserlis to take part in Open Chamber Music at the International Musicians’ Seminar, Prussia Cove. Fenella can also be found playing Tango in duo and larger ensembles with the great Uruguayan bandoneonist, Hector Ulises Passarella.
Fenella’s teachers have included Sidney Griller CBE, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Ida Bieler and David Takeno at the Purcell School, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the Robert-Schumann-Hochschule in Düsseldorf where she was awarded the highest attainable marks both for the 'Diplom' exam and the 'Konzertexamen' soloists' diploma. She has taken part in masterclasses with musicians including Thomas Brandis, Lorand Fenyves, Anthony Marwood, Thomas Riebl and Krzysztof Penderecki.
Fenella plays a beautiful violin from the circle of Peter Guarneri of Venice, kindly on loan from Jonathan Sparey.
Neil Aston
As a soloist Neil regularly performs concerti with orchestras such as Worcester Philharmonic and Spires Philharmonic and has given many recitals throughout the country including the Purcell Room on London's South Bank, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and Kew Music Society.
As a chamber musician he has performed with the Coull Quartet and regularly joins with musicians from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Neil is also a member of the highly successful quintet Serenata Winds, with whom he regularly broadcasts for BBC Songs of Praise. As an orchestral musician Neil has worked with the CBSO, Orchestra da Camera, Spires Philharmonic and is currently principal clarinet with the British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
Neil is an accomplished freelance conductor, regularly working with the Worcester Philharmonic Orchestra and Staffordshire Youth Wind Orchestra.
Laura Campbell
Laura Campbell has recently graduated with a Masters with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, having previously completed her undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Her teachers have included Alison Teale, Steven Hudson, Jonathan Small and Jennifer Galloway. Laura has played with professional orchestras across the UK and Europe including BBC Symphony, the Hallé, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. She has worked with prominent conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, John Adams, Heinz Holliger and Jac van Steen. Laura enjoys a busy schedule of freelance playing and teaching, and is a member of Southbank Sinfonia 2018. When she’s not playing the oboe Laura enjoys classic novels, baking and current affairs.
Lizzie Ryder
Lizzie Ryder is a lyric soprano in London. She has worked with Nevill Holt Opera where she sang in the role of ‘Frasquita’ in their production of Bizet’s Carmen as an understudy and was acclaimed by Opera Now magazine for making ‘a hugely pleasing impression’. The following year she played the role of ‘Countess Ceprano’ in Rigoletto Other roles include ‘Anna Maurrant’ Street Scene, ‘Governess’ Turn of the screw, ‘Tytania’ A Midsummer night’s dream (Britten Opera Scenes) and chorus in Northern Ireland Opera’s revival of The Elixir of Love for Nevill Holt Opera. Lizzie has also performed in many opera scenes including ‘Fiordiligi’ Cosi fan tutte ‘Female chorus’ Rape of Lucretia and ‘Fox’ Cunning little vixen.
As well as Opera, Lizzie has worked as a soloist for various orchestras around the UK, including the Halle, singing Opera classics such as Rusalka’s ‘Song to the moon’ (2019) and ‘Easter Hymn’ Cavelleria Rusticana (2014). Lizzie is a frequent singer for the Charnwood Orchestra most recently engaged to sing ‘Oh! Il signore vi manda’ Cavilliera Rusticana and ‘Prendi per me sei libero’ L’elisir d’amore.
Lizzie also has a great passion for French Chanson and German lied, singing works such as ‘Les Illuminations’ (Britten) (2019) as well as ‘Wesendonck Lieder’ (Wagner) (2018) with the Beauchamp Sinfonietta and ‘Sieben Fruhe Lieder’ (Berg) with the Charnwood Orchestra. She is engaged to sing Ravel’s ‘Sheherazade’ next year.
Jonathan Barritt
Jonathan Barritt studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Atar Arad and Mischa Geller and was awarded all the major prizes for viola. He graduated with distinction in 1983 and was immediately offered a position with the English Chamber Orchestra where he was appointed co-principal viola in 1988. He was sponsored by the ECO Music Society in his London recital debut at the Purcell Room, and he has since regularly played concertos with the orchestra.
As a very versatile artist, Jonathan has managed a varied career and is much in demand as a soloist and chamber musician both in the UK and abroad. He has subsequently worked with most of the London orchestras and has guest lead the London Symphony, Philharmonia, London Philharmonic,Bournemouth Symphony, CBSO, Mozart Players, BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish and BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestras viola sections.
From 1995 to 2001 Jonathan was a member of the Allegri String Quartet. He returned to the English Chamber Orchestra in 2001 as principal viola. He joined the Coull String Quartet in 2015 and now divides his time between the quartet and teaching at the Royal College of Music. He plays a Giovanni and Francesco Grancino viola c.1680
Joel Roberts.
Joel graduated with a Masters from the Royal Academy of Music in 2017, studying with Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins, Martin Owen, and Roger Montgomery. He was awarded a Richard Mereweather bursary at RAM and, whist studying there, was a holder of a Countess of Munster Musical Trust scholarship. After finishing his Masters, he was a Chamber Music Fellow at RAM with his wind quintet, Moriarty Winds.
Before joining the Academy, Joel completed his undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, learning with Lindsey Stoker, Julian Plummer and Tim Jackson as well as studying natural and baroque horn with Beccy Goldberg. Joel’s studies at the RNCM were generously supported by the John Fewkes (Leicestershire) Instrumentalist Scholarship Fund.
Born and raised in Beckenham, Joel was taught horn at Bromley Youth Music Trust, by Andrew Currie and Michael Purton, and was involved in many of the ensembles including the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Big Phat Brass to name a few. He now teaches at BYMT and directs Young Phat Brass, as well as teaching at BYMT North West.
Since finishing his studies, Joel has been playing professionally with the BBC Philharmonic, Welsh National Opera and Hallé Orchestras as well as touring with Northern Ballet Sinfonia. Joel was a member of Southbank Sinfonia for their 2019 season and is currently a FoyleFuture First recipient with the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their 2019/20 season
Rebecca Eldridge
In 2012, Rebecca won a scholarship to study on the MMus orchestral course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Graham Sheen, Helen Simons, Gordon Laing and Martin Field. Prior to this, Rebecca graduated with first class honours from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying with Meyrick Alexander, Martin Bowen, Steve Marsden and contrabassoon with Chris Vale.
During her studies, Rebecca won the Three Choirs Festival Ensemble Prize, Howarth Double Reed prize, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s Concerto prize, June Emerson Wind Ensemble Launchpad prize and the Abergavenny Eisteddfod.
Rebecca has worked with various orchestras including the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Viva and Orchestra of the Swan. She was also contrabassoonist with the Young Musician’s Symphony Orchestra and has participated in side-by-side schemes with the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Rebecca was Co-principal Bassoon with Southbank Sinfonia 2017.
As a soloist Rebecca has performed concertos with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s Chamber Orchestra, Chandos Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia of Birmingham, Leamington Chamber Orchestra and Inkberrow Sinfonia. Also a keen chamber musician Rebecca is a founding member of the Aquilon Ensemble. This has lead to performances on BBC Radio 3, UK and European tours and coaching from Andrew Marriner, Francois Leleux, Sarah Burnett and Neil Black.
Fenella Humphreys
With playing described in the press as ‘unforgettable’ and ‘a wonder’, violinist Fenella Humphreys enjoys a busy career combining chamber music and solo work. Performances have taken her around the world to venues including the Wigmore Hall, the South Bank Centre, and the Helsinki Music Centre. She has broadcast for the BBC, Classic FM, DeutschlandRadio Berlin, West-Deutsche-Rundfunk, ABC Classic FM (Australia) and Korean radio, and performed the Walton Concerto at the composer’s home at the invitation of the Walton Trust in a performance that was recorded by Canadian TV.
Fenella’s first concerto recording, of Christopher Wright’s Violin Concerto for Dutton Epoch with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Martin Yates was released in 2012 to great critical acclaim (“Fenella Humphreys’s performance is a wonder” International Record Review; “Fenella Humphreys captures the music’s wistful cantabile to perfection, producing a golden tone in all registers with the utmost sensitivity to where every phrase is moving.” The Strad Magazine), and was selected as Orchestral CD of the Month in a 5 star review in the BBC Music Magazine.
A number of eminent British composers have written works for Fenella, both in her own right and as a former member of the Lawson Trio. During 2014/15 Fenella premiered Bach to the Future, a set of 6 new unaccompanied violin works by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Gordon Crosse, Sally Beamish, Adrian Sutton, Piers Hellawell and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. The project has so far seen performances at Aldeburgh, St. Magnus Festival, Presteigne Festival, Ryedale Festival, The Forge, Manchester University, Queen’s University, Belfast etc. and is to be recorded over two CDs for Champs Hill Records. A “radiant recording” with “golden precision and effortless virtuosity” (Five Stars, The Scotsman) the first of these discs, released in August 2015 was picked by BBC Music Magazine as October’s Instrumental disc of the month.
Concertmaster of the Deutsche Kammerakademie, Fenella also enjoys guest leading and directing various ensembles in Europe. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists including Alexander Baillie, Adrian Brendel, Pekka Kuusisto and Martin Lovett, and is regularly invited by Steven Isserlis to take part in Open Chamber Music at the International Musicians’ Seminar, Prussia Cove. Fenella can also be found playing Tango in duo and larger ensembles with the great Uruguayan bandoneonist, Hector Ulises Passarella.
Fenella’s teachers have included Sidney Griller CBE, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Ida Bieler and David Takeno at the Purcell School, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the Robert-Schumann-Hochschule in Düsseldorf where she was awarded the highest attainable marks both for the 'Diplom' exam and the 'Konzertexamen' soloists' diploma. She has taken part in masterclasses with musicians including Thomas Brandis, Lorand Fenyves, Anthony Marwood, Thomas Riebl and Krzysztof Penderecki.
Fenella plays a beautiful violin from the circle of Peter Guarneri of Venice, kindly on loan from Jonathan Sparey.
Neil Aston
As a soloist Neil regularly performs concerti with orchestras such as Worcester Philharmonic and Spires Philharmonic and has given many recitals throughout the country including the Purcell Room on London's South Bank, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and Kew Music Society.
As a chamber musician he has performed with the Coull Quartet and regularly joins with musicians from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Neil is also a member of the highly successful quintet Serenata Winds, with whom he regularly broadcasts for BBC Songs of Praise. As an orchestral musician Neil has worked with the CBSO, Orchestra da Camera, Spires Philharmonic and is currently principal clarinet with the British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
Neil is an accomplished freelance conductor, regularly working with the Worcester Philharmonic Orchestra and Staffordshire Youth Wind Orchestra.
Laura Campbell
Laura Campbell has recently graduated with a Masters with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, having previously completed her undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Her teachers have included Alison Teale, Steven Hudson, Jonathan Small and Jennifer Galloway. Laura has played with professional orchestras across the UK and Europe including BBC Symphony, the Hallé, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. She has worked with prominent conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, John Adams, Heinz Holliger and Jac van Steen. Laura enjoys a busy schedule of freelance playing and teaching, and is a member of Southbank Sinfonia 2018. When she’s not playing the oboe Laura enjoys classic novels, baking and current affairs.
Anna Noakes
Anna Noakes has performed concerti with major London Orchestras as well as giving recitals, as both soloist and chamber musician, at the at Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, BBC Radio 3 recitals, many National and International Festivals and numerous CD recordings. Most recently, Anna has recorded the JM Damase Flute Concerto with BBC Concert Orchestra, which was released in May 2014 and received rave reviews. She works closely with duo partners Gabriella D’all Olio, Harp and John Alley and Leo Nicholson, Piano
Composers such as Martin Yates, Cecilia McDowall, Dominique Le Gendre, Elgar Howath and Simon Holt have been inspired to write for her.
Anna has recorded numerous CD's featuring solo and flute chamber music for ASV, Naxos, Dutton Epoch, Guild and Kingdom, receiving Gramophone Magazine's coveted 'Critics Choice' a number of times.
Anna broadcasts for BBC Radio3 and Classic FM and works as Guest Principal Flute with the English Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Opera House Orchestra, English National Opera, Philharmonia, Briitten Sinfonia, Northern Sinfonia, Academy of St. Martins in the Fields and New London Orchestra.
She now spends a great deal of her time recording music for Film and TV, playing film scores by composers that include John Williams, David Arnold, James Horner, John Powell, Harry Gregson Williams, Howard Shore, Danny Elfman, Alberto Inglesias, Craig Armstrong, Elmer Bernstein, Michael Giaccomo, Alan Silvestri and Hans Zimmer in films such as Harry Potter, James Bond, Shrek, Narnia, Bridget Jones, Love Actually, How to Train your Dragons, Lord of the Rings, Les Miserables, Volver, Sleepy Hollow, Da Vinci Code to name but a few.
Anna is Professor of Flute at Trinity College of Music for the last thirteen years, a position she has held for the last thirteen years, and is Artistic Director of the Yoxford Arts Festival, now in its tenth year.
Anna Noakes has performed concerti with major London Orchestras as well as giving recitals, as both soloist and chamber musician, at the at Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, BBC Radio 3 recitals, many National and International Festivals and numerous CD recordings. Most recently, Anna has recorded the JM Damase Flute Concerto with BBC Concert Orchestra, which was released in May 2014 and received rave reviews. She works closely with duo partners Gabriella D’all Olio, Harp and John Alley and Leo Nicholson, Piano
Composers such as Martin Yates, Cecilia McDowall, Dominique Le Gendre, Elgar Howath and Simon Holt have been inspired to write for her.
Anna has recorded numerous CD's featuring solo and flute chamber music for ASV, Naxos, Dutton Epoch, Guild and Kingdom, receiving Gramophone Magazine's coveted 'Critics Choice' a number of times.
Anna broadcasts for BBC Radio3 and Classic FM and works as Guest Principal Flute with the English Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Opera House Orchestra, English National Opera, Philharmonia, Briitten Sinfonia, Northern Sinfonia, Academy of St. Martins in the Fields and New London Orchestra.
She now spends a great deal of her time recording music for Film and TV, playing film scores by composers that include John Williams, David Arnold, James Horner, John Powell, Harry Gregson Williams, Howard Shore, Danny Elfman, Alberto Inglesias, Craig Armstrong, Elmer Bernstein, Michael Giaccomo, Alan Silvestri and Hans Zimmer in films such as Harry Potter, James Bond, Shrek, Narnia, Bridget Jones, Love Actually, How to Train your Dragons, Lord of the Rings, Les Miserables, Volver, Sleepy Hollow, Da Vinci Code to name but a few.
Anna is Professor of Flute at Trinity College of Music for the last thirteen years, a position she has held for the last thirteen years, and is Artistic Director of the Yoxford Arts Festival, now in its tenth year.
Jenny Curtis
Cellist Jenny Curtis studied at the Royal Northern College of Music where she was awarded many prizes and scholarships. She took part in masterclasses with Ralph Kirschbaum and Maurice Gendron and also in the masterclasses with Paul Tortelier which were televised by the BBC.
Jenny was a finalist in the LPO/Pioneer Young Soloist competition. She was a member of the Philharmonia for six years and has played with many of the finest orchestras in the country, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic and the Halle.
Jenny has regularly appeared as a soloist in this country and in Denmark. She is a well-respected and experienced teacher and has been a cello professor at the Royal Northern College of Music for eleven years.
Cellist Jenny Curtis studied at the Royal Northern College of Music where she was awarded many prizes and scholarships. She took part in masterclasses with Ralph Kirschbaum and Maurice Gendron and also in the masterclasses with Paul Tortelier which were televised by the BBC.
Jenny was a finalist in the LPO/Pioneer Young Soloist competition. She was a member of the Philharmonia for six years and has played with many of the finest orchestras in the country, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic and the Halle.
Jenny has regularly appeared as a soloist in this country and in Denmark. She is a well-respected and experienced teacher and has been a cello professor at the Royal Northern College of Music for eleven years.
Barbara Rodway (Soprano)
Barbara Rodway was born in Wakefield , West Yorkshire. She studied at both the Huddersfield School of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she gained her Diplomas in Singing Performance and Teaching (AGSM).
During a further two years’ advanced study at the Guildhall under Noelle Barker and Vilem Tausky, Barbara won the Susan Longfield Memorial Award and was finalist in the Guildhall Gold Medal Competition, judged by Sir Peter Pears. She won the J. W. Pearce prize which is given annually at the Mrs. Sunderland Music Festival in Huddersfield. Barbara also received private coaching from Paul Hamburger, Geoffrey Parsons, Kurt Equiluz, Ilse Wolf and Nancy Evans.
Concert engagements as soloist include Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” in Rochester Cathedral; Verdi’s “Requiem” in the Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford University; Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ in Cheltenham; Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’ in Birmingham; Elgar’s “The Kingdom” and Brahms’ ‘Requiem’ in Huddersfield Town Hall; Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’ in the Central Methodist Hall in Coventry; Robin Holloway’s ‘Divertimento No.3’ with the Chamberlain Wind Quintet; Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’ in Warwick’ and in a recital of Arie Antiche in the Purcell Room on the South Bank, in London. Barbara was a soprano soloist in the “Cantate pour la Paix” by Bernard Lallement, in Sceaux (Paris) in 2000 and was asked to return to Sceaux in 2007 to sing in a performance of Michna’s ‘Messe de St. Wenceslas’.
Barbara has sung at the Aldeburgh Festival under Rostropovitch, and more locally has performed in the Warwick Festival. She took the role of ‘Fiordiligi’ in Mozart’s “Cosi fan Tutte” with Sir Geraint Evans in his series of Television Masterclasses, which were broadcast by the BBC. Her other operatic roles include ‘Giulia’ in Rossini’s ‘La Scala di Seta’; ‘Clorinda’ in Rossini’s ‘Cenerentola’; ‘Dido’ in Purcell’s ‘Dido & Aeneas’; ‘Drusilla’ in Monteverdi’s ‘Coronation of Poppea; and ‘Santuzza’ in Mascagni’s ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’.
Barbara has given vocal Masterclasses at Warwick University. She has also run weekend vocal Masterclasses in Warwickshire, Leicestershire and London. She has adjudicated many competitions and has run many workshops for singing groups and societies.
Barbara teaches singing at Rugby School and she also teaches privately. Barbara is a past tutor to the Warwickshire County Youth Chorale and also sang with Wide Angle Voice Theatre Opera.
Recent concerts include Haydn’s ‘Stabat Mater’ in Warwick with the Diatonic Chamber Choir. Barbara will be singing with them again this November.
Barbara works extensively as a soloist both here and abroad, performing concerts in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Malta and Gozo.
Barbara Rodway was born in Wakefield , West Yorkshire. She studied at both the Huddersfield School of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she gained her Diplomas in Singing Performance and Teaching (AGSM).
During a further two years’ advanced study at the Guildhall under Noelle Barker and Vilem Tausky, Barbara won the Susan Longfield Memorial Award and was finalist in the Guildhall Gold Medal Competition, judged by Sir Peter Pears. She won the J. W. Pearce prize which is given annually at the Mrs. Sunderland Music Festival in Huddersfield. Barbara also received private coaching from Paul Hamburger, Geoffrey Parsons, Kurt Equiluz, Ilse Wolf and Nancy Evans.
Concert engagements as soloist include Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” in Rochester Cathedral; Verdi’s “Requiem” in the Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford University; Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ in Cheltenham; Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’ in Birmingham; Elgar’s “The Kingdom” and Brahms’ ‘Requiem’ in Huddersfield Town Hall; Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’ in the Central Methodist Hall in Coventry; Robin Holloway’s ‘Divertimento No.3’ with the Chamberlain Wind Quintet; Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’ in Warwick’ and in a recital of Arie Antiche in the Purcell Room on the South Bank, in London. Barbara was a soprano soloist in the “Cantate pour la Paix” by Bernard Lallement, in Sceaux (Paris) in 2000 and was asked to return to Sceaux in 2007 to sing in a performance of Michna’s ‘Messe de St. Wenceslas’.
Barbara has sung at the Aldeburgh Festival under Rostropovitch, and more locally has performed in the Warwick Festival. She took the role of ‘Fiordiligi’ in Mozart’s “Cosi fan Tutte” with Sir Geraint Evans in his series of Television Masterclasses, which were broadcast by the BBC. Her other operatic roles include ‘Giulia’ in Rossini’s ‘La Scala di Seta’; ‘Clorinda’ in Rossini’s ‘Cenerentola’; ‘Dido’ in Purcell’s ‘Dido & Aeneas’; ‘Drusilla’ in Monteverdi’s ‘Coronation of Poppea; and ‘Santuzza’ in Mascagni’s ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’.
Barbara has given vocal Masterclasses at Warwick University. She has also run weekend vocal Masterclasses in Warwickshire, Leicestershire and London. She has adjudicated many competitions and has run many workshops for singing groups and societies.
Barbara teaches singing at Rugby School and she also teaches privately. Barbara is a past tutor to the Warwickshire County Youth Chorale and also sang with Wide Angle Voice Theatre Opera.
Recent concerts include Haydn’s ‘Stabat Mater’ in Warwick with the Diatonic Chamber Choir. Barbara will be singing with them again this November.
Barbara works extensively as a soloist both here and abroad, performing concerts in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Malta and Gozo.
Simon Smith is active as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher.
As a soloist he has performed with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields throughout the USA, with the Philharmonia, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Orchestra of St. John's Smith Square. He has given recitals in the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in London as well as for Music Clubs and festivals throughout the UK.
Future projects include a number of recordings: Kurtag's "Signs Games and Messages" for solo violin; the 2nd Violin Concerto by Peter Racine Fricker and the Bartok Sonata for Solo Violin.
As a chamber musician Simon was a member of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Octet, performing in concert halls and broadcasts throughout the USA, and in Canada, Australia, Taiwan and Germany. He has recently performed in Russia and Kazakhstan for the first time. A CD of works by Kodaly and Dohnanyi, with Katherine Jenkinson, Paul Silverthorne and Clare Hayes will be released early in 2014.
Simon Smith is a visiting lecturer at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He has given numerous masterclasses, including at the Kazan Conservatory in Russia.
Future plans include teaching visits to Almaty Conservatory in Kazakhstan, Antwerp, Dublin, and Wells Cathedral School.
He has run regular courses for a number of years in the UK and next year will be a guest teacher on a course in Southern France, as well as on the Birmingham Conservatoire's Violin Course at Pro Corda.
Simon studied with David Martin and Frederick Grinke, and then with Yfrah Neaman at the Guildhall School of Music, where he was awarded the Gold Medal. He received a DAAD scholarship to continue his studies in Germany with Wanda Wilkomirska. He plays on a Rogeri violin, made in 1708.
Simon is married to the violinist Clare Hayes, (a member of the Emperor String Quartet) and has three children. He collects classical LP's and vintage hifi, and is Chair of Governors at Little Munden School in Hertfordshire.
As a soloist he has performed with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields throughout the USA, with the Philharmonia, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Orchestra of St. John's Smith Square. He has given recitals in the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in London as well as for Music Clubs and festivals throughout the UK.
Future projects include a number of recordings: Kurtag's "Signs Games and Messages" for solo violin; the 2nd Violin Concerto by Peter Racine Fricker and the Bartok Sonata for Solo Violin.
As a chamber musician Simon was a member of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Octet, performing in concert halls and broadcasts throughout the USA, and in Canada, Australia, Taiwan and Germany. He has recently performed in Russia and Kazakhstan for the first time. A CD of works by Kodaly and Dohnanyi, with Katherine Jenkinson, Paul Silverthorne and Clare Hayes will be released early in 2014.
Simon Smith is a visiting lecturer at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He has given numerous masterclasses, including at the Kazan Conservatory in Russia.
Future plans include teaching visits to Almaty Conservatory in Kazakhstan, Antwerp, Dublin, and Wells Cathedral School.
He has run regular courses for a number of years in the UK and next year will be a guest teacher on a course in Southern France, as well as on the Birmingham Conservatoire's Violin Course at Pro Corda.
Simon studied with David Martin and Frederick Grinke, and then with Yfrah Neaman at the Guildhall School of Music, where he was awarded the Gold Medal. He received a DAAD scholarship to continue his studies in Germany with Wanda Wilkomirska. He plays on a Rogeri violin, made in 1708.
Simon is married to the violinist Clare Hayes, (a member of the Emperor String Quartet) and has three children. He collects classical LP's and vintage hifi, and is Chair of Governors at Little Munden School in Hertfordshire.